The games of the semester: 4 RedHawks games to watch

The fall semester is here, which means it is nearly time for another year of excitement at Miami University specifically for the RedHawks. With a combination of old faces and new, including four new head coaches, this is an athletic department that is trending in the right direction.

vs. Cincinnati: Sept. 14 (Football)

The importance of the Battle for the Victory Bell has significantly increased, as the RedHawks take on a University of Cincinnati Bearcat squad with 47 new players on their roster, including former Indiana University Hoosier quarterback Brendan Soresby. The RedHawks, coming off an improbable 31-24 overtime victory in the 2023 edition of this series, hope for their first repeat victory in this series since 2002-03.

Additionally, this year’s game will be played at Yager Stadium for the first time since 2017, making this an especially meaningful home game for Miami.

For second-year head coach Scott Satterfield and his Bearcats, this game will be an early non-conference test that could be the difference between a bowl game and a shortend season.

What makes this game even more important is the announcement that this series, the oldest non-conference rivalry in all of college football, will end in 2026 at Paycor Stadium. With the series tied at 60-60-7, which team will take home the Victory Bell for the final on-campus game currently scheduled?

vs. Central Michigan: Sept. 24: (Volleyball)

After a month of regional invitationals for Miami, new head volleyball coach Dan Gwitt will finally get a chance to coach his first game in front of the Oxford faithful.

He will have the difficult task of replacing legendary coach Carolyn Condit, who won over 700 career games and 10 Mid-American Conference championships in her 40 years with the Red and White.

The Central Michigan University Chippewas will be the opponent for Gwitt’s first home game. The Chippewas, led by ninth-year head coach Mike Gawlik, handed the RedHawks a 3-0 defeat last season in their 15-15 campaign.

While Central Michigan beat Miami in their last three matchups, the RedHawks hold an overall series lead of 40-28.

vs. Alaska Anchorage: Oct. 11 (Hockey)

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First-year head coach Anthony Noreen will get his chance to log his first career win at Goggin against the Alaska-Anchorage SeaWolves. The RedHawks have only faced them three times, with the last matchup ending in an 8-5 victory for the Red and White in 1987.

Alaska-Anchorage has struggled in recent years with zero double-digit win seasons between the 2014-2015 season and 2022-2023 season. However, the SeaWolves are coming off a 15-17-2 season with third-year head coach and former SeaWolves player Matt Shasby leading the conference-less squad.

Noreen can score some early momentum for a Miami program that was largely rudderless under former head coach Chris Bergeron. The RedHawks hope to see a return to the heights of the Frozen Four that former head coach Enrico Blasi was able to get to.

@ Indiana: Dec. 6 (Basketball)

This is the 26th matchup between the RedHawks and the Hoosiers. The last time the RedHawks traveled to Bloomington was in 1994. Their most recent matchup was on Nov. 20, 2022, in Indianapolis.

Miami returns nine players, including four who logged significant minutes for a Miami squad that went 9-9 in conference play, posting its second .500 or better league record since 2011.

The biggest addition for the RedHawks this offseason was former top-60 recruit Kam Craft, one of the biggest recruiting wins in school history.

The Hoosiers look to rebound from a disappointing 19-14 season that led to third-year head coach Mike Woodson’s squad getting left out of the NCAA Tournament field.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Hoosiers projected to be a four seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament based on the strength of a top transfer recruiting class that featured three top 10 transfers, according to recruiting website 247 Sports.

wiesemsm@miamioh.edu